


I Lobe You

by WriteyIkko



Category: The Evil Within (Video Game)
Genre: Adoption, Cameo by Joseph and Kidman, First Time, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M, Resolved Sexual Tension, Slow Build, Surgery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-10
Updated: 2015-01-10
Packaged: 2018-03-06 22:08:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3150011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriteyIkko/pseuds/WriteyIkko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ruvik's 'Haunted' turn against him out of pure bitterness at what they'd become and he's forced to use the protection of Sebastian Castellanos, much to his disgust.<br/>A two part story depicting the adventures of Sebastian and his new partner, Ruvik, as they escape the STEM.<br/>AU in places.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Escape

**Author's Note:**

> Well this gem is finally finished, if you can call it a gem. Anyhoo, please enjoy. It's my first time posting to this site so hopefully I did everything correctly.  
> The Evil Within and depicted characters belong not to me, but to Bethesda and their crew.

Sebastian was hearing it again. The music. The same damn piano song that played every time he got near to a mirror. But this time was different, in the way it sounded like someone was playing it instead of it sounding like it was being echoed from a void unknown. If he was to have a say in it, it was disgustingly beautiful. Saccharine, played by unknown fingers-probably burnt. 

It started when he entered the giant mansion-one of the only standing buildings left in the world. It was played with more or less a mocking tune, the sound ringing through his ears. It left him with a slight headache. He was urged to speak his mind concerning the music, loud enough for the musician to hear, but he had more pressing matters at hand. 

Zombie like creatures haunted his every step and he had no choice but to gun them down one by one. Be it pistol, shotgun, even crossbow, he’d kill every one of them until he expired. Deep down, he felt some sort of guilt at killing what might have been perfectly normal human beings, or what they’d become, but it was a dog eat dog world now. He had no choice, or so he convinced himself. 

The music abruptly halted with what seemed to be the player smashing the keys all at once as if they’d been interrupted and tossed onto it or smacked head first into the things. He didn’t hear a peep after that, much to his slight concern. His headache was gone now, thankfully. 

He came across some sort of open-brain contraption and scratched at the stubble decorating his neck. This wasn’t by any means an odd occurrence in this twisted world, he thought bitterly as a recording played. The same gravelly voice he heard from the recording nearby the church. 

The detective picked up a probe from the table gingerly, ignoring the god-awful smell coming off the corpse head. He was by no means squeamish but he was never good with smells. Regarding the diagram closely, he lowered the electrode into the ‘fear’ center of the brain. 

A satisfying ‘beep’ sound and he turned to see a vision swimming across his vision. Marcelo and…was that a young Ruvik? Sebastian walked around to see his face and decided that the shadowed eyes were unmistakable. That piercing gaze-he’d know it anywhere. 

There was something that slightly bothered him about the scene though. It might have been Ruvik’s seemingly innocent disposition in that time frame. Something didn’t add up. A person can’t just skip from having child-like innocence to being a cold blooded psychopath without something forcing that change. Was there something he hadn’t yet seen? 

The vision ended and he exited the room, rancid silence filling the area. Well, that wasn’t right. Usually there would be decayed corpses patrolling the place but, as it seemed, there wasn’t a soul around. Not that he was complaining-a quick ammunition check assured that he was quite fine with the matter. 

Sebastian wandered over to the stunningly huge double staircase, a sense of false security washing over him like a warm shower. The thought of a shower made him shudder in want. He was in dire need of one. Staring up at the things was like staring at your own insignificance to the owner of the mansion, at how poor you were compared. It was somewhat overwhelming. 

Uneven foot falls from somewhere behind him startled the weary detective, spinning around and aiming at the zombie-like creature and shooting without hesitation. It took a well-aimed headshot and the creature’s head exploded into brain matter before the body fell to the floor in a heap. 

He considered burning the thing but that would waste matches and he couldn’t afford that. It looked down for the count anyway. A quick survey of his ammunition told him he should be on the hunt again for more. Never enough bullets. 

Sound filled the area suddenly. Some sort of machinery, by the sounds of it. A quick glimpse to his right confirmed it as the lock. Some sort of red liquid was flowing into the elaborate workings. He took that as a good sign and moved on, heading into the room to the left. 

Things became eerily quiet again all too fast. Surely he wasn’t overreacting if he thought the appearance of only one monster in the span of 5 minutes was not normal. The hallway he traversed seemed peaceful, even, before he jogged nearly to the end of a second adjacent one. 

His ankle became ensnared in a rope of sorts, pulling him swiftly towards two meat grinder like contraptions. His hand reflexively snatched up his handgun and aimed at the light above the trap, firing two consecutive shots until it burst and the trap stopped. Groaning a little, he sat up and knifed off the rope around his ankle. 

Splinters of various sizes cut into his back through his upper-wear and he reached to pull them out stiffly. It stung but he could handle it-it wasn’t the worst injury he had come across, like the slash above his hamstring. The detective was still pushing back the pain from that, although it seemed to have healed pretty nicely since. 

The next room he entered was home to a rather aged piano. This must have been the source of the music he had heard, although he couldn’t tell at the time the direction it came from as it sounded like it filled the whole house. “Some big echo for such a small thing,” Sebastian huffed. 

He scouted the room for bullets and found a safe with missing dials. Another wild goose chase seemed in order, much to his dismay. He wasted no time and exited the room, coming to the trap again. He eyed it suspiciously as he passed. 

The PI came to a halt at the double staircase, reloading his bullets with the ammo he found in the ‘music room’. Can never be too careful with ammo. Ascending the stairs brought him to an intersection of doors. Something tugged on him to go left, and being someone who never denied his gut feeling, he turned and went left. 

The door, oddly, opened on its own when touched. He promptly raised his gun and walked in, scanning the now identified library for anyone who would have left it open. Christ, there was a lot of books. He was answered without fail when he heard a door close and lock behind him. With record reaction time, his gun was pointed at none other than Ruvik himself. “Ruvik?!” Sebastian barked. 

The robed man raised his hands in pitiful defense. “Lower the gun. I’ve come to you for an alliance.” His body language spoke volumes of self-control as he just stood there, eyeing off the detective, piercing eyes never wavering. 

Sebastian looked him up and down, clearly not buying it. “Oh yeah? What’s this ‘alliance’? For all I know, it’s just a chance to stab me in the back like you’ve been trying to do this whole time.” 

Saying nothing, Ruvik teleported close enough to slap the gun out of his hand, kicking it away with his toes to some corner of the room. He snatched both of the vested man’s wrists, holding them tightly. The Victoriano leaned in so Sebastian could see nothing else but his phlegmatic expression. “Listen closely, Seb. As far as this world goes, I am your God. I rule this place. I rule everyone in it, even you. I know what you’re thinking, what you feel. You will do my bidding without hesitation. You will crumble like the rest of them.” 

His words spoke volumes for his personality and apparent superiority complex. Sebastian didn’t even know this guy, until now at least. He struggled in the vice-like grip, searching for an escape. “You speak a lot of bullshit, don’t you Ruvik. I’m not succumbing to anything, especially not to you. Get your head out of the sand.” 

Ruvik stared him down, showing no emotion. The burned man opened his mouth to say something until the door on the other side of the library burst open, in coming nearly a hoard of haunted. Sebastian looked back at them, then at Ruvik to find him gone. So this is how he was going to play. “You sick bastard.” 

Taking them out was an easy enough feat, with his trained aiming skills, but it blew a hole in his bullets quite a bit from the quantity of his adversaries. Luckily he found packets of ammo around the messy place as well as quite a hefty amount of green gel. 

The PI was all too happy to forget about his unlucky encounter with his inner demons and climb the ladder he found but Ruvik wasn’t having any of it. Like a nagging girlfriend, he warped in front of Sebastian, impeding his progress. “You see,” He seemed to start off where he left off. “A certain…grudge, if you will, has been imprinted on their deteriorated brains against their creator.” 

Sebastian stared on blankly. “Your problem, oh ‘creator of everything damned’. Let me pass.” He walked to the side but the hooded man followed suit, side stepping. He tried to pass the other side but it happened again, Ruvik watching on with slight amusement. Sebastian was losing patience. “Move, damn it.” 

Ruvik shook his head slowly as if gesturing to a child. “Not until you agree to our alliance. Short and sweet.” With a huff, the detective figured he didn’t see a way around this. He was in the face of the ruler of this world. If he refused, who knows what might happen. He’d rather get out alive, thanks. “Fine. What’s your job in our…’alliance’?” 

Ruvik smirked slowly, as if it hurt his face. “Finding ammunition for your primitive weapons. Guiding the way. Be assured that I will not bring ‘them’ to you. I’m glad to work with you, Seb.” He offered his burnt hand gingerly. 

Something really stank about this whole thing, something Sebastian couldn’t deny for one second. But this was alright, for now. He grabbed Ruvik’s hand in a firm grip. “It’s Sebastian. But it’s good to have a partner, I guess.” 

Ruvik stepped aside and gestured at the ladder before vanishing again in static like particles. “After you, Sebastian.” The name rolled off his tongue like syrup. Sweet one second but too much could get messy. 

Said man just climbed the ladder to the top, finding what he needed and moved on. 

 

“Laura was a wonderful girl.” 

Sebastian had come across a room full of paintings, a large family portrait in the middle. There stood a young blond child with the same dull eyes he had seen in the vision. Ruvik. To his left stood a bearded man with striking resemblance to the burned man. Sitting below them, a woman presumably his mother and to her left, a young woman with a scratched off face. He pointed her out with interest. “Is that Laura?” 

A slowly clapping Ruvik warped beside the painting, staring up at the girl known now as Laura with clear adoration in his eyes. The only emotion the detective had ever seen him with. “Very good. She is my sister. Or rather, was.” 

Knowing better not to pry, Sebastian searched around for items before Ruvik tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention, pointing up. There, in all its glory, was a statue of a woman holding a key safely inside. He would have missed that. Scratching the back of his neck sheepishly, he retrieved his sniper rifle and shot it down, collecting the key. “Thanks.” 

He got no reply from a now empty room, of course, so he moved on, feeling a bit stupid. His ‘partner’ had to stop doing that. “Could you…walk next to me like a normal person?” His wish was fulfilled and the slightly shorter male appeared beside him, matching his stride with a cocky saunter. “In return for your protection, I suppose that can be arranged.” 

He decided to lift the curtain on the giant pink elephant in the room, now that he got the social cue. “Why can’t you protect yourself, anyway? I specifically saw you slay those guards at the beginning of this mess, and then me.” He stopped, Ruvik mimicking him but not turning to face him. 

Sebastian spun him around so they were eye to eye, making sure he couldn’t lie. With a stone face like that, it probably wouldn’t do much but it was worth it to try. “Think about it, Sebastian. We all get tired. Melee attack such as that, I’m willing to bet they would tire me out. Especially in this state.” He gestured to himself. “Any more questions?” 

It could have been how tired he was, or the injuries he was donning, but that cocky attitude was bugging him more than it should have. He turned to the side so he could still see his ‘companion’ in his peripheral vision, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down before speaking again. “Yeah, why are you so damn infuriating? Ever since I was involuntarily dragged into this mess, you’ve been throwing your damn monsters at me right and left. Why won’t you give me a damn break? I was living a more than peaceful life before this happened. I’d like to go back to it.” He hated how his voice broke at the end of his rant, feeling weak. How could he stand to get emotional in front of a person like this? 

Ruvik shook his head again, denying something. “You sank into a bottle as soon as ‘the incident’ happened. Alcoholism is not peace.” The burned man spoke the words with clear experience. Less for his own experience with the substance, it seemed, more for someone else’s. Sebastian backed him into the nearest wall. “Get the fuck out of my head, you sick bastard!” 

Sebastian slumped onto Ruvik, resting his head on his shoulder to calm his breathing. He could feel Ruvik tensing under him from the contact. They stayed like that for a while until Sebastian calmed down enough to function, the man stepping back and smirking slightly at Ruvik’s expression of upmost disgust of being touched by such a lowly being as himself. “Oh come on, you don’t hate it that much. You must like me somewhat if you asked for my help.” 

“I do not!” Came Ruvik’s all too fast reply. An awkward silence fell over them. Sebastian blinked in surprise and then burst into laughter. The rambunctious nature of the laugh probably would have drawn any enemies nearby, were there any. A red-faced Ruvik snarled, shoving the other away aggressively before warping out of existence. Sebastian struggled to catch his breath, having not had such a mirthful laugh in years. “C-come back!” 

He coughed a few times, stopping himself when he heard footsteps. To his credit for someone who just laughed until he had tears pricking his eyes, he took down the zombie-like creatures swiftly and without wasting too much ammunition. 

Looting the bodies, he wondered whether Ruvik was gone for good now. A pang of guilt hit his gut. He didn’t know what the guy had been through but from the way he turned out, he probably wouldn’t have had much of a chance to get a girlfriend or boyfriend, whichever way he swings. He would soon find out his assumptions were correct. 

He went through the area until he found the next brain through a hole in the fireplace in a master bedroom. It was strange this was here in the parents’ bedroom, but he wasn’t complaining about finally finding it. He picked up the probe and listened to the message. “F-7, consent.” He jumped when he heard a whisper right by his ear, accidentally placing the probe in the wrong place and getting a painful jolt in the hand. 

He turned to see Ruvik in all his glory, smirking. “That is payback.” Sebastian just shook his hand, feeling the sting of the jolt still. He was smart but he had no idea where ‘F-7’ was in the brain. That wasn’t in the job description. Looking down at the diagram again proved to show him exactly where to place the electrode, which he placed without fail. “Thought you were mad with me.” 

Ruvik smacked his head in a seemingly playful manner. “Don’t assume that I’m not, cretin. You were taking your time. We have no time to waste.” Whatever that meant, Sebastian thought. They had all the time in the world-it was better to go slow than to rush in this macabre world. 

Sebastian was again on his own but something told him it was for a reason. He climbed through the fireplace again to hear what was, unmistakably, a younger Ruvik talking shakily. Then he saw it. 

Two adults lay slumped against the bed frame, a very bandaged Ruvik holding a knife in both hands above them, expressing his disgust. What he said was the most interesting. Being locked in a basement? What happened there? The vision of Ruvik vanished with a shaky breath and he was left confused. He looked over the two bodies. Ruvik didn’t come back with a snide remark this time. 

 

He placed both dials in their designated places and turned them to the correct numbers corresponding the painting. All at once, the panel connecting the door with the dials burst open in a mess of gore. It was more startling than anything, so Sebastian could easily walk through the now open door. 

The brain at the end of the hall proved to be harder than expected to place the electrode into. He wiped the sweat from his brow, the stuff accumulating there from sheer exertion and pain at failing. He thought when Ruvik startled him was bad, the pain only radiating in his hand. Repetitive failings had it going up his arm, into his whole body. 

The thought of failing so much he expired made him think, pausing his hand before continuing. On one hand, Ruvik would have no one to protect him and he could finally be free of this mess. On the other, he’d be giving up on his co-workers. Giving up on Myra, on Lily. 

He didn’t have to think for much longer as the probe was snatched from his dirt caked hand and placed in the ‘hope’ center without fail. He turned weakly to see Ruvik staring him down, obvious judgement in his pale eyes. “Failure. Complete, and utter-“ 

“Thanks.” Sebastian cut in, not feeling like hearing a lecture from the other man. He slumped further into the chair, regaining his strength. Everything was catching up on him, making him feel like absolute hell. Ruvik was having none of it, grabbing his arm and lifting him up with more power than he should have. “Get up. How much do I need to stress that we have no time to lose?” 

Sebastian retaliated with flopping back into the chair, pulling the man onto his lap. “Look superman, I need to rest. Stay put and stay quiet for 5 minutes.” Ruvik said nothing after that. 

Silence fell on them, the only noise the bubbling of the red liquid flowing through the mechanism on the wall. Sebastian found it tranquil and very much needed after all the shit he’d been through. His hands were placed on Ruvik’s shoulders to keep him where he was and he only just realised how tense the man was. Was it the disgust that he had before, or was that only a ruse? 

He began massaging the man’s shoulders as an experiment, feeling him tense further. “Relax, would you? I’m not that bad at massaging.” He saw the other’s head lower in perhaps a submissive way and felt the muscles under his hands relax only slightly. Sebastian dug his thumbs into his back, rubbing in circles and moving up to his neck progressively. He could feel Ruvik relaxing further, head drooping forward bit by bit. It was kind of…interestingly cute? 

He soon reached Ruvik’s neck in his movements and began massaging up but a high-pitched noise stopped him. The burned man jumped out of his lap, not facing him. “If you’re done resting yourself, it’s time to move on.” He vanished without another word, leaving Sebastian with his hands still raised in position, confused but validated. So that was it. 

He up and left his chair and walked all the way to the previously locked door between the staircases. They opened for him to reveal a meadow of sunflowers, filling every corner. Walking in proved to close the doors for good behind him but he didn’t mind all that much, the yellow flowers providing peace and sanctuary for his tired soul. 

There was a barn somewhere in the distance-another piece of the puzzle. Heading towards it slowly, he was unfairly teleported to the doors, Ruvik’s words practically echoing in his mind; ‘no time to waste.’ The doors opened for him and he walked inside to find another vision of child Ruvik with a young woman. “I know you’re in here, Laura. I can hear you breathing.” 

Laura giggled and stayed out of Ruvik’s vision, playing with him. Sebastian watched with a pang of trepidation at how this could screw up. Watching the two siblings hug was heart wrenching, knowing what was to happen sooner or later. 

More memories of the two playing together and he heard voices outside. Suddenly the barn was up in flames. “Ruben!” Laura wasted no time in rushing Ruvik out the window high up in the barn, failing to get out herself. The detective watched in vain as Laura burned to death, falling off the high platform to perish on the ground. A lot clicked in those moments, the same moments Sebastian looked frantically for a way out. 

Ruvik appeared on the same ledge his sister fell from, catching his eye. He looked akin to a god up there, framed in flames of utter death and hatred. Sebastian soon snapped out of it, showing a mix of pity and irritation on his face. “Stop acting all high and mighty up there before you hurt yourself.” 

Ruvik looked down on him coldly, not regarding his concern at all. “When I…no. When we get out of this cursed place, I must ask for your assistance once more. Laura, her killers. The bane of my existence, I urge you to find them for me. I must have revenge. You, of all people, must understand that, yes?” 

Sebastian’s eyes fell in memories of what was taken from him. Surely, if he couldn’t have the revenge he needed, he should help someone in a similar situation get theirs. It would fill some void. “Ok. But this isn’t some one-sided thing. That kid, Leslie, we have to find him. He deserves better than this. And my partners…” 

Nodding in the slow way he did, Ruvik gestured to somewhere far away. “He is safe to collect for when we return to the living world. As for your partners, they are also safe. It’s hot…” He paused to wipe sweat off his brow. “In here. Let’s leave.” Sebastian hadn’t even realised the amount of anxiety the scene must have brought him and yet he just brushed it off as being hot. Strength like that was what he looked for in a person. 

The world around him shifted and brought him to a dingy room, not unlike he’d seen around a lot. It was the sort of familiarity that he didn’t crave, the sort that tuned his sharp shooting skills to the max. He wandered on, alone, and with a lot of time to think. 

He was more than relieved to know his teammates were safe, even Kidman, who he’d always been a little iffy about. Leslie too. He wasn’t quite sure what his ulterior motive was when he asked for Leslie to be ok. Would the right thing to do be to return him to the hospital or take him in? He remembered fairly well the way he reacted to that doctor guy when they found him in the basement. 

Would he be able to keep his side of the deal by finding the people responsible for ruining Ruvik’s life? 

He’d soon see, if he could get out of this hell-hole first. So continued his weary stride through the rooms. Bullets and green gel was scarce but not impossible to come by and he found a bit of both in the rooms he passed. “How many have you killed, Ruben?” 

The distraught doctor questioned his science partner. Ruvik’s answer was as high and mighty as Sebastian thought it would be, mentioning traps of sorts. The detective should have known the traps were his doing. The bandaged man gestured stiffly as Sebastian watched him speak, looking over him closely. The guy was done up like a mummy. 

He moved on as soon as the vision was finished, finding a ladder and a fair amount of red lights at the bottom. The next part of the puzzle at the bottom of the dingy, red ladder seemed to be just the typical kind of stealth kill. That was until he tripped a wire in the dark and the room lit up, some eerie sort of carnival music playing. 

With swift reflexes, he ducked back down from standing in surprise, watching as the monster in front of him got decapitated cleanly from a swinging blade attached to… “A carousel? Really, Ruvik?” He crouch-walked over to the doorway Ruvik was now standing in, pushing him aside so he could stand once more, free of danger. 

To be fair, Ruvik looked a bit surprised too. “This isn’t mine. It must be somebody else’s childhood memories merging into the world. Strange that such a twisted thing could come from a mind not mine.” He pondered, watching the body bags above the carousel joyfully swinging in circles. “This must be...” He trailed off. 

Sebastian stared at the other, a tasteful mix of interest and disinterest filling his gaze. “Must be what? It just looks like an innocent memory got turned psycho from being connected to yours. Nothing that interesting about it.” 

Ruvik stroked his chin in thought before raising a finger in confirmation. “Exactly, Sebastian. Don’t you see? That imbecile, Marcelo. He used me as the beacon. The center of this plight. In other, simpler words for your unembellished mind, he’s connected all your brains…to mine.” He paced slowly around the room. “It’s been such a long time to not have realised this sooner. This is a breakthrough, Sebastian. I now know what has to be done.” He turned to Sebastian, eyes softened exponential amounts. 

Sebastian watched as he walked over, arms stretched wide, and came forward to embrace him. Sebastian flinched but otherwise stood still. “Ruvik, what-“ 

Ruvik hushed him, nuzzling his face into the crook of the detective’s neck. “This makes me happier than you could imagine. I have been stuck in this place for years, I believe. Unable to even breathe fresh air. I have to thank you.” 

The PI shook his head, awkwardly embracing the other man back. “Thank me when we’re out.” There was a pause before Ruvik tilted his head up, close to the other man’s face. “Nonsense. I insist I thank you now.” 

Inhaling quickly, Sebastian backed up but a wall appeared behind him, apparently there the whole time without his knowledge. He was getting increasingly hot as Ruvik followed him and leaned in closer until their lips met, Ruvik letting his arms rise to wrap around the other male’s strong neck. 

They stayed like that for a little while, with Ruvik’s lips just pressed against the detective’s, until Sebastian thought ‘fuck it’ and began kissing him. The burned man melted into the kiss, making little noises here and there. Sebastian thought they were cute but also that it was wrong to think so. This man had been the culprit for his near-death experiences many times, as well as his partners’. The hooded man seemed honestly to be enjoying this experience, however, so he didn’t know what to think of that. 

Things were getting heated with the introduction of tongues to their kissing. Sebastian gave into primal urges and took control, flipping their positions so Ruvik was backed up against the wall. It was obvious the burned man had no experience in this sort of thing as he stayed tensed, arms pulling Sebastian closer. He quite clearly wanted more but didn’t know how to show it. 

Sebastian took initiative again and ground his hips into Ruvik’s lithe ones, if only to hear him groan. Ruvik sucked in the attentions rapaciously, following with his hips soon after. He seemed to take to the new sensations well. The private investigator broke the kiss to lean in to nip at the other’s ear, whispering sultrily. “You want me to fuck you?” 

Ruvik gasped at the blatant request, obviously enjoying the straightforward nature of it. “Y-yes.” He stuttered, burying his face in Sebastian’s shoulder again. Sebastian ran his hand down Ruvik’s front to cup his aching erection in his masculine hand, squeezing lightly. Heavy breathing filled the room as the detective spun the other man around to face the wall, pulling down his already unbuttoned pants along with his own.

He placed a finger in Ruvik’s willing mouth for him to wet, but the other male needed a bit of coaxing to do the job, inexperienced as he was. Sebastian leaned in to run his tongue up the back of the other’s neck after pulling down his hood, speaking softly to the shuddering man. “Wet it, I’ll need to use it to stretch your virgin ass.” 

A small “oh” was his reply and the other man took the digit in and circled his tongue around it, sucking on it. Ruvik dislodged some blood from the finger and groaned, enjoying the strong metallic taste of the liquid. Sebastian enjoyed it a little too much to have his sensitive digit played with as such, grinding against Ruvik’s backside to relieve some of the pressure in his crotch. 

He removed his finger eventually, deeming it over stimulation, and entered it into Ruvik’s puckered hole carefully. The hooded male ground back against the finger, urging Sebastian to put more in with a shaky voice not unlike that of when he killed his parents. The thought made Sebastian pause for a millisecond, before deeming the thought would be better thought later with a clear mind. For now, this was ok. 

Placing another finger in, he began thrusting them in and out to better prepare Ruvik for what was to come. He must have hit something, for the other was screaming his name suddenly, thrusting into the wall aimlessly. “You bastard…” He’d come without him. Not that that was going to stop him from fucking him senseless, the scene only furthering his arousal. 

Luckily after a little while of recuperation, Ruvik was ready to go another round, thrusting back against the still fingers inside him. Sebastian was more than ready to oblige, removing his fingers and positioning himself at the other man’s entrance. He waited for some sign to go on, Ruvik nodding in consent after a deep inhale. 

He entered in one clean thrust, both males going silent except for their breathing. Sebastian placed both hands on Ruvik’s hip bones, holding tightly. “You ok?” The other man had been tightening onto the detective since he entered, probably in pain. “It’ll go away…as soon as I start moving.” 

Ruvik nodded, saying nothing. He pushed back onto Sebastian gingerly, as if to say ‘keep going’. The man obliged and pulled out slightly to thrust back in, going slow at first. He tried to find the man’s prostate above all else to make the experience one of pleasure, not pain. As if reading his mind, Ruvik pushed back onto him harshly, starting a rough rhythm instead of the calm one Sebastian had started. “Pleasure…Pleasure and pain. They are one and the same. G-go rougher.” 

Sebastian matched the pace without hesitation, latching onto the man’s nape with his teeth. He figured from that reaction before that the guy’s neck was sensitive and if he wanted pain, well, Sebastian wasn’t one to deny the man. He got what he wanted when Ruvik’s breathing got shallower and his noises became more frequent. 

It took about five minutes for both to get close. Ruvik tilted his head a bit to weakly look back at his temporary partner. “I-I have a request. Call me b-by my real name when…when you…” His head fell forward again, resting against the cold of the wall. 

They simultaneously reached their peaks, Sebastian remembering the request quite clearly and tugged on the burned man’s earlobe before growling, “Come for me, Ruben.” Ruvik came undone straight after with a groan of ‘Seb’, his muscles clenching on Sebastian’s manhood. The detective came soon after, lowering them both to the floor. 

He pulled out and grabbed some conveniently placed tissues in his vest pockets and cleaned them both up. As he finished, it seemed to herald complete silence. Not an awkward or bad silence, just silence. As an afterthought, Sebastian pecked Ruvik on the lips, turning the burned man red. “Sebastian.” Sebastian looked up from where he’d been looking away sheepishly. “I realise that we’ve only just copulated, and you likely still hate me. There’s also the factor that I’ve already asked too much. Either way, will you…I have nowhere to go-when we get out of here. You see, my family fortune…well, let’s just say I have nowhere to go. Will you take me in?” 

The man’s pale eyes looked expectantly at Sebastian, seeing through any attempt to get out of this. How could he say no anyway? He practically signed up for it when he touched Ruvik like that. This was not saying he didn’t have any free will left on the matter-he’d still take him in as well as Leslie. This didn’t mean it would be easy living with the superiority-mad man but he might be able to fill some gap…some hole left by Myra and Lily. “Alright. But we play by my rules when we get home, deal?” 

Ruvik seemed taken aback that the man actually agreed but nodded quickly, lips quirking up like a child who just got what they wanted for years. Sebastian thought it was cute without a second thought.


	2. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The method for escaping the STEM, Ruvik won't say. But now Sebastian has more pressing issues at hand; his family. Lucky he had that extra cash saved up.

Sebastian woke up with a start. He noticed a few crucial details, one being he felt no pain anywhere in his body. Another was that he could breathe. 

There was something attached to the back of his neck, which he promptly felt with shaking fingers. Ridged and slimy, like an intestine. The water encasing him sloshed as he pulled it out roughly, climbing out of the bathtub after dropping it overboard. He fell to the tiled floor, nausea overcoming his system. Weak, he thought, his body was weak from being stuck there for so long. 

After having a coughing fit to clear his airway, he sat up to cradle his aching head. He was back. He would have laughed mirthfully but he was more worried about the people that had gone in with him. 

His legs wobbled as he stood and it was a game of trial and error to stand completely. He wandered around to find most of the baths empty except for a certain albino’s and Ruvik’s. Where was Joseph and Kidman? Perhaps they already left. 

Sebastian crouched beside Leslie’s bath first to remove the plug, the boy startling awake. Baby blue eyes met Sebastian’s and suddenly arms were wrapped around his neck, a whimpering Leslie burying his head in the detective’s neck. “Hurt…hurt…hurt!” 

A paternal feeling took over Sebastian and he helped the boy from the bath carefully, helping him stand. “You’re alright.” Leslie grabbed Sebastian’s hand as a child would, holding it firm. “Safe. Safe.” 

Sebastian figured Leslie felt safe in his presence, rather than the doctors’ that he had been in before. The PI was more than fine with that, and he would do all he could to keep him safe. He led the albino boy to Ruvik’s tub to find him trying to climb out of the slippery thing. Leslie was quite obviously startled and hid behind the detective. “It’s fine, Leslie. He’s the one who got us out.” 

Ruvik sneered at the bathtub he was stuck in and grabbed the hand the detective offered him. “I appear to be as weak as I remembered.” He struggled out of the tub, having to use Sebastian’s free side as a crutch for his fire weakened body. The prolonged time connected to the STEM didn’t help his state. 

They exited the facility together with Ruvik’s directions to help guide them out from the basement they were stuck in. They stepped through the door and Sebastian knew what fresh air was again. There were police rushing to the scene, multiple cars lined up in the carpark. “Detective Castellanos, are you alright?” An officer rushed to him, looking him over before noticing the two beside him. “A patient? And…” 

“Ernest Mildew, pleased to make your acquaintance, officer.” Ruvik quipped. Sebastian put two and two together and kept his gaze on the officer as if to reassure him that Ruvik was telling the truth. “And this is Leonard. He was taken here in an act believed to be unfair. We’re taking him to court to rectify this mess.” Ruvik kept his piercing gaze on the officer, daring him to ask questions. 

The officer must have bought it as he led the trio to one of the cars. Sebastian spoke up. “Where are my partners? Joseph Oda and Juli Kidman? And Conelly? They arrived on scene with me.” The officer nodded and gestured to the entrance of the asylum. “Both Joseph and Juli came out and they’ve been driven to the station. Conelly, however…” 

There was static and the officer picked up his radio, speaking into it after he listened. “Yes. Ok.” He looked sympathetically at Sebastian. “Your partner, Conelly, was found deceased on scene. I’m sorry. Let’s take you back to the station.” 

 

Sebastian’s reunion with Joseph and Kidman was all but tearful-professional through and through. They said nothing on the matter of the STEM, or nearly dying on many occasions, but came up with some other story to appease the officers. 

Coming up with something for Ruvik and Leslie was the hardest, but they came through. Sebastian’s partners were inwardly dumfounded at both their appearances at the detective’s sides, Sebastian saw it in their eyes. He knew they would be. Even he was confused. 

He wasn’t even quite sure what Ruvik did to get them out of that place. He just suddenly woke up after presumably being knocked out, in the bathtub he had no idea he was in. Come to think of it, how did he get there in the first place? “Detective Castellanos?” 

Sebastian snapped out of his reverie. “Ah, yeah. Tired.” 

They were let off the leash before too long, each going their respective ways after a regretful farewell. They would hold a funeral service for their partner and friend on one of the coming days. Leslie followed closely behind Sebastian, still holding his hand, and Ruvik walked stiffly beside the detective. To feel the pain of his burns outside of the STEM was like a slap to the face. 

Thankfully, Sebastian’s home wasn’t too far from the station-only a short walk. It was a modest place, owned. He lived there after Myra’s death for the sheer reminiscence of it. It was an old place and needed touching up in places but the detective life didn’t allow much time. 

Sebastian opened the door for the two outcasts, Leslie entering with a sense of wonder. He looked around the place before turning back to Sebastian and pointed at himself. “Home?” The detective nodded and Leslie smiled brightly, walking further into the place. Ruvik stayed at the door until he caught the other’s eye, sauntering over as much as his burned hips let him and kissed Sebastian. “You made the right choice, Seb.” 

Feeling appreciative but more inclined for a shower, the detective grasped Ruvik’s hand and led him to the bathroom, gesturing to the large shower within. “Together or alone? I’d let you go first, of course.” The other man thought before speaking, stepping into the well-endowed bathroom to look around inside. Not bad. 

“Watch over the boy, I’ll have it myself. We’ll have time for joint showers later.” He spoke as if there was something troubling him but Sebastian nodded nonetheless and left him to it, going to find Leslie. 

He found him sitting on the lounge, twiddling his thumbs as if having nothing to do. Sitting next to the albino, he caught his attention with a quiet ‘hey’. The boy looked up at Sebastian with clear unsureness in his eyes, probably not sure if he was going to abuse him as well, but that was only the detective’s assumption. “Look, I don’t know what they did to you in there but I’ll give you what you deserve; a better life. You’re free to anything in this house as long as you don’t hurt yourself. We’ll go get you some clothes tomorrow, alright?” 

Leslie paused before joy showed on his face and he reached for the other’s hand again, Sebastian allowing it readily. He seemed to like holding people’s hands, Sebastian thought. He couldn’t help but think he did the right thing when the boy looked up at him with those eyes. The detective couldn’t have just lived in despair forever. Myra and Lily wouldn’t have wanted that. He would never replace them, but he felt like he did the right thing. “Alright…alright…alright.” 

He wasn’t saying it would be easy caring for two sick people, but he would manage. 

Soon enough, Ruvik emerged in nothing but a towel, showing off his torso to the two. “Clothes.” Is all he managed, stiffly sitting on a lounge, clearly in pain. Sebastian was careful not to rush to get some of the many bandages he had stocked in his cupboard. He got pain killers as well. When he came back, Leslie was sitting obediently on the couch still, averting his eyes politely from the burned man. 

Seeing the state of the now bleeding burns, Sebastian decided he would be forced to talk to the other man about surgery when he could find the words that wouldn’t set him off. Sure, he lasted this long, but his life span was probably profusely sapped from it all, as well as his quality of life. He couldn’t even shower without bleeding. 

Sebastian dressed the wounds carefully yet swiftly, not wanting the other to bleed too much. He delivered the pain killers and water to Ruvik with apt refusal from the man, but he eventually got him to take them with some convincing. Once he was once again dressed like a mummy, Sebastian went to fetch clothes that would probably be too big for him. 

As he thought, the plain black shirt and boxers sat loose but not so much they’d fall off. The first word said in the minutes of that disaster was a curt ‘thanks’ from Ruvik, as if it burnt him to say it. Sebastian nodded and turned to Leslie, unsure of whether he could bathe himself or not. “Come on, Leslie.” He offered his hand of which was taken immediately and they walked to the bathroom. 

From the way Leslie fearfully stared at the bath, Sebastian figured he would need some trust workouts and coaxing to actually get him in there. “It’s alright. Look, uhh,” He thought on the matter for a second, grabbing a sponge and soap from the vanity and holding them up for Leslie to see. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. Do you need help to undress?” 

Leslie just fiddled with his hands, unsure. “Undress…help to undress.” He eventually nodded meekly and turned around so Sebastian could see the bows on the back of the pullover, preventing him from doing so. “Ah.” 

It occurred to Sebastian that the abuse was more advanced than he originally thought when Leslie was stripped of his pullover, seeing all the scars and bruises adorning his torso. He would have to use extra care to not hurt him when bathing him. The albino removed his own pants with a bit of fiddling, and Sebastian saw that the rash on his hands and back reached down his legs as well. He’d have to get that checked out. 

The bath was filled with bubbles to make it a bit more enjoyable for the albino and a rubber duck that the detective had found in the vanity was added to the warm water which Leslie fiddled with in nervous hands. Sebastian cleaned the boy’s back with the sponge, missing Leslie’s smile as he found the material of the sponge ticklish. 

The bath was soon over when Sebastian finished cleaning him, and Leslie seemed to miss it when he was gotten out. It was better than the cleaning care they provided in the mental hospital; ice cold baths and scratchy sponges donned by harsh hands. Something else on Sebastian’s mind was Leslie’s dental hygiene. They obviously didn’t care too much about that back in Beacon. 

Sebastian gave Leslie the fluffiest towel he could find and watched as the boy nuzzled his face into it. Cute. He set to work on getting a new toothbrush and squirting a small amount of toothpaste onto it, not wanting to overwhelm the boy after not having tasted it in a while. The albino was drying his face gingerly when Sebastian spoke up. “This might taste a bit strong but it’s important. I don’t want your teeth rotting prematurely.” 

Leslie looked at the toothbrush with slight confusion and then looked back at Sebastian for clarity on the object. Sebastian placed it on the bench next to the sink and helped dry off Leslie, wrapping the towel around the boy’s waist when he was dry. “Open up, ok?” 

Brushing someone else’s teeth was difficult but rewarding. They were near-white in a while, but a little yellow remained that could be gotten off with whitening products. Sebastian could see him running his tongue along his newly cleaned teeth in awe. “Clean...clean!” He grabbed Sebastian’s hand in his own two and rested his cheek on the man’s fingers in thanks. 

 

Instead of throwing the Beacon Mental Hospital ‘uniform’ out, he hid the dirty thing in a box in the bottom of a cupboard. 

“Burn it.” Ruvik had said with distaste, but Sebastian had no place to do so and knew the fire would set off his roommate. Storing it to never be found again was just as good, he thought. If his garbage was ever searched, he might be arrested for misconduct. The law wouldn’t see things his way about Leslie, no. They would say he belonged where he had belonged before Sebastian came along. The detective couldn’t have that. 

He would cut all Leslie’s ties with the hospital, starting with the garments of that place. 

While going through the bottom of the cupboard, he managed to find a scarf of his. He was surprised he still had this thing. Looking at it, he figured the blue might look good on Leslie. It’d give him something to hide in when they went out in public too. 

Wrapping it loosely around the albino’s neck, he deemed the whole thing a good idea from the smile that lit up his face as he studied the object. Ruvik watched on with only slight amusement showing on his burned face. “Where’s mine, Sebastian? It might go nicely with my complexion.” He joked. 

Sebastian shook his head at the man. “I’ll get you a blood red one that matches your weird-ass hobbies. How does that sound?” To his surprise, a smirk appeared on Ruvik’s charred lips. “Excellent.” 

Looks like he was getting his roommate a red scarf. He was so caught up in seeing to everyone else’s needs that he had forgotten to shower himself. He did so promptly after grabbing some fresh clothes that consisted of bed wear. 

He thought about bed arrangements as soon as the hot water hit his tired body. He owned a king bed so it wouldn’t be a problem to fit two people in there. They hadn’t touched Lily’s room since her death, that room housing a small single bed that wouldn’t fit Leslie anyway. He wasn’t planning on disturbing that room so perhaps he’d turn one of the studies into a room for Leslie. For now, he’d give them the king bed in his room and he’d sleep on the big lounge. 

He didn’t know how just how much Ruvik would dislike that idea. 

He seethed more than spoke up when told about their sleeping arrangements, until he got an idea and stopped simmering in anger. Sebastian may not have known his roommate for long but he could read his apathetic face like a book. Most of the time. “What’s wrong, Ruby?” 

As expected, Ruvik flared back up at the nickname. Sebastian could see the subtle changes in his demeanour like the grinding of his teeth and slightly narrowed brow muscles. He said nothing but turned and made a beeline to Sebastian’s room, toeing the door closed. Sebastian thought about calling out that they hadn’t even eaten yet but figured if the man wanted something, he’d come and get it. 

Leslie and Sebastian ate in silence, leftover meals from the detective’s fridge. Leslie seemed to be enjoying it though, even if it was just warmed up spaghetti. They went their separate ways after eating, Sebastian cleaning up the kitchen quickly. Flopping onto the lounge, he fell asleep nearly immediately and slept like a log. 

Something was feeling its way up his body and he startled awake, looking at a nearby clock on the wall in the dim light of the kitchen to find it was nearing 3:00am. He grunted and felt for hair. He felt bandages instead and sighed sleepily. “Really, Ruvik? It’s early.” He slurred. 

Ruvik caught his lips in a fiery kiss but he was having none of it, pulling Ruvik down to his side and hugging him close, planning full well on falling back asleep. The wannabe scientist struggled in his grip, settling for grinding against Sebastian’s thigh to relieve his erection.

Ruvik must have been doing it on purpose-his lavish moans and groans right in Sebastian’s ear, but it was working. The detective’s cock twitched to life in his boxers, his hands aching to feel up the other man. He almost forgot to be careful with the frail man but when his hands touched bandages under the fabric of Ruvik’s shirt, it hit him like a brick. This was no dream now where he could be as rough as he liked without causing much pain. 

Languorous in his ways, he brought Ruvik’s hips to his and ground into them. He wasn’t planning much more than that, but it seemed to be enough for both parties. They simultaneously searched for eachother’s lips in the dark of the room, meeting with a sigh. Unbelievably, this felt better than in the STEM. He thought dreams were meant to give you hyper-sensation. 

They had to be quiet enough that they didn’t wake Leslie but they couldn’t stifle a groan here and there, so absorbed in eachother. They must have been loud enough for they heard light footsteps coming and then waddling away swiftly as soon as they came near the lounge. Their noises must have startled him away. They stopped their movements, finding his small time being present in the living room a buzz kill. “Should we stop?” Sebastian whispered hoarsely. 

Ruvik rolled his hips, as if saying ‘no way’. “Should have closed the door.” Ruvik didn’t bother whispering but his voice was deep with lust anyway. They finished soon after, laying in eachother’s arms to ride through the afterglow. Sebastian was first to get up, clambering over Ruvik after pecking his lips. He sought out Leslie who was sitting on his bed and sat next to him, patting his shoulder. “We didn’t mean to scare you. You see…when two people love eachother very much, they show it in strange ways. Like…like what you saw. It’s hard to explain. Maybe you’ll understand one day with your own special someone.” 

Leslie nodded, seemingly understanding Sebastian’s words. “Special someone.” He repeated, looking happy. Sebastian got up and walked to the door. “Goodnight, Leslie.” With a wave, he exited the room only to find Ruvik there, having eavesdropped. 

The burned man looked up at him, arms crossed and smirking. “You love me, do you? Not only a little bit, but ‘very much.’” Sebastian barked out a short laugh and lightly punched Ruvik’s arm. “Keep trying and I might marry you, who knows. For now, I only like you.” It was a blatant lie and both could see it. 

Sebastian was beat and he strided over to his makeshift bed, plodding himself onto it and falling back into a lying position. Surely, Ruvik made his way over as well and curled up at his side, falling asleep quickly. Sebastian followed suit, pulling Ruvik closer once he was sure he was asleep. 

 

Watching Leslie try to work his new DS system was, he had to admit, pretty cute. Sebastian had to read the instructions himself and teach him what he knew from them to work the thing. They’d been on a buying spree at the local shopping center for clothes, food and entertainment, the money coming from Sebastian’s savings account. He’d saved up a fair amount for anything he’d need it for, which was now for his new family. 

They got a fair few looks but Ruvik’s pale-eyed glare was more than effective at halting anyone’s ill thoughts. Sebastian held his promise and bought the bandaged man his scarf, of which he wore the whole day proudly. 

Ruvik seemed to enjoy buying plentifuls of white hoodies and dress shirts as well as slacks, jeans and dress shoes. Leslie was more inclined to loose t-shirts and comfortable pants and shorts. It was rather humourous to see him try on shoes for the first time, which were a nice pair of converse, for he stared them down like they were a foreign object. 

All in all, both Ruvik and Leslie were spoilt by Sebastian. Leslie seemed to have a knack for the DS when he got all the controls down and was happy to play the games Sebastian had bought for him. Sebastian figured he’d like G rated games, the calm ones. So he got him Pokemon to start him out, which he seemed to be really enjoying by the big smile on his face. Looking over his shoulder, he saw various little characters and creatures in a well coloured environment. Perfect. 

Sebastian hadn't even touched a bottle of alcohol since their escape. He couldn't have himself being unpredictable around Leslie. It was hard at first but he managed to toss his stash in the outside garbage with a tear in his eye. No, he wiped it away, he would be strong. For Myra and Lily. For Leslie. 

Ruvik’s condition was deteriorating, however. He was prone to coughing fits that sprouted blood on many occasions, and he had to sit and lay down a fair amount. The STEM seemed to really have taken it out of him. Sebastian deemed it time, so he sat him down somewhere away from Leslie and started. “Look, Ruvik. You’re getting worse, there’s no other way to put it. I have enough funds for-“ 

Ruvik stood, looking aggravated. “I don’t need to hear this from you. I’m fine.” Sebastian caught his arm as he began to walk away and spun him around to face him. “You’re not fine. Listen to me. I have enough money to fund a surgery for your wellbeing. At this rate…” 

The burned man looked appalled at the mention of surgery. He wouldn’t, no, couldn’t have surgery to better his wounds, his scars as a reminder of his sister’s death. He glared up at Sebastian, nothing more than hating him at that moment. “’At this rate’ nothing. You will not threaten-“ He keeled over in a coughing fit and the detective caught him, not giving up. 

“Ruvik. Listen to yourself, you’re not going to make it if you keep this up. Laura wouldn’t want that, would she? She got you out of that barn at the expense of her own life. You can’t die because of it. I can’t book you in without an ‘ok’ but Jesus, Ruvik.” Ruvik pulled himself together, looking defeated. The detective had a good point. 

“Don’t talk about my sister as if you knew her but…fine. Do as you wish.” Sebastian nodded and fetched the phone. 

First was a consultation to get to know the state of the injuries and transfer the money, which was a hefty amount for a full body skin grafting. Sebastian wasn’t a doctor so he didn’t know what everything the surgeon said meant, but Ruvik seemed to. Sebastian could only really think that this would cost every loose change he had, even then it would be cutting it thin. 

He looked over at Leslie who was playing his Pokemon game, happily ignoring the world around him. He sometimes wished he could be like that. He glanced at Ruvik who was taking everything the surgeon said in with an occasional nod. “And how will you be paying?” 

Sebastian started but Ruvik cut in. “By card.” He grabbed the wallet Sebastian never knew he had on him out of his pocket. “Sebastian,” He said without looking at him. “I’ll explain later, don’t worry your tired brain. Oh, and doctor? I’ll keep the receipt.” 

They walked out, Leslie’s hand in his own as was usual. He waited until they got to the car and turned to Ruvik. “Explain.” Ruvik nodded. “Certainly. I forgot I had my wallet still in my pocket when connected to the STEM, simple as that. Oh, and I let you pay for all that some days ago as I knew you would come to me, demanding I get this surgery. Congratulations, you still have money.” 

It was all said in a bored tone but Sebastian took it in readily, only half happy that he didn’t have to pay. “What about your money? Wouldn’t you still need it for things?” They got in the car, Sebastian driving away from the hospital, waiting for an answer.

“The mansion? I can’t go back there, as much as I’d like to. It’s as simple as I don’t own it any more. I looked into it after we got out of my creation. Jimenez, that fool, sold my house for thousands after I was put under. It still angers me. He’s gotten what he deserves.” He referred to the fact that Marcelo was perpetually stuck in the STEM. 

Sebastian hadn’t seen him in the bathtubs but he figured if he saw him shortly before in the ‘dream world’, he’d still be stuck in there. Even his justice obsessed mind thought he deserved some of that. “Sick bastard. You’ll always have a place in my home.” 

Ruvik’s lips contorted into a smile for a fleeting second before it vanished again. 

 

The big day arrived for Ruvik. They fit him in the very next day from the severity of his wounds. Sebastian pecked him on the lips before he followed the doctor into the designated room. He said they’d wait for the operation to be done, which Ruvik thought Sebastian was out of his mind as it would most likely take hour upon hour and that they should just go home and wait. Sebastian was stubborn and insisted. 

He might be bored but Leslie would have something to do. 

Sebastian decided to get comfortable, watching the clock on the wall tick by for something to do. Seconds turned to minutes, turning to an hour and Leslie turned to Sebastian, trying to convey some message via telepathy. “What, do you want a drink?” 

Surprisingly, Leslie nodded to the detective’s guess work and closed his DS, getting to his feet. Sebastian followed suit and took him to the cafeteria to get an orange juice, his new favourite. They walked back to the waiting room with Leslie happily sipping his drink through a stock-standard straw. 

Another hour passed and they took a toilet break. Yet another hour and, beyond Sebastian’s belief at how quick it was, the surgeon came out and gave them the thumbs up at the surgery being a success. Sebastian looked relieved and Leslie gave a shy smile at the surgeon, not really knowing what was going on but being happy nonetheless. 

They were allowed to see him after half an hour of recuperation for Ruvik. Sebastian led Leslie into the room by the hand, where a nurse was checking over Ruvik. She whispered something about this being the ‘worst case’ she’d seen before seeing the two and smiling, leaving them to it. “Ruben?” 

Ruvik answered his lover in a groan, eyes still closed. It looked as if a mesh of skin was covering Ruvik’s burns and Sebastian eyed them, having not seen this many skin grafts ever. They weren’t covered by bandages to let the oxygen into the grafts to help them grow faster. Sebastian gestured for Leslie to sit in the provided seat and he sat on the bed next to Ruvik. 

He reached out and entwined their fingers until he heard a beeping noise speeding up. He looked around for the source of it and found it coming from Ruvik’s heart rate monitor. Sebastian had to stifle a laugh as he quickly removed his hand as a couple of nurses rushed in. The detective heard ‘I’m going to kill you brutally.’ from Ruvik as he jumped off the bed so the nurses could make sure he was alright. 

They fussed over him until the heart rate monitor slowed down back to normal. Confused, they checked for signs of heart attack among other things until Sebastian spoke up, sure he would be killed later. “No worries, he was just a bit flustered is all.” 

The nurses looked at Sebastian, one of them stifling a giggle while the other looked on unapprovingly at the detective. “You really must tell us these things sooner.” They left the room and Sebastian sat back on the bed, keeping his hands to himself. “When are they letting you out?” 

Ruvik didn’t look at the detective, instead looking at the wall next to him. “In a week. They want to watch over me to make sure things don’t go awry. Infections and such.” He turned his head to look at Leslie, who in turn stared back innocently. “You keep your father busy, ok?” 

Leslie clapped his hands together once in joy. “Father!” He rushed over to hold both of his caretakers’ hands. It was so painfully cute, that Ruvik had a heart palpitation. The nurses came running. 

 

Sebastian had sick leave for a week and a bit, as he had asked. This allowed him to be home for Leslie and wait for Ruvik’s return. In the time he waited, he figured he could do a bit of renovating around the house. He couldn’t sleep on a lounge forever, after all. 

First would be to figure out Leslie’s room. It was a study at the current time so he would move the things around in there to make room for a bed. He would keep most things in there, such as the desk, television and bookshelf. He didn’t know if Leslie could read but he could always be taught. 

They visited the hardware store to pick out paint and it didn’t surprise Sebastian one bit that the boy picked blue after examining his scarf closely. It would be a big job on his own but at least he had the experience under his belt. They left after getting supplies for the job, Leslie riding in the front seat. 

Sebastian tried to strike up conversation while driving. “Hey, so how’s that game of yours? You’d be nearly finished it, right?” He could see Leslie nodding in his peripheral vision. He took that as a sign that he liked the game and he was nearly finished. “That good? Well that’s great.” He smiled. 

Leslie nodded again, seeming a little off. “Crash…” He started. “Crash…crash…crash!” Sebastian was so busy daydreaming out of tiredness that he nearly crashed into the car in front of them when they stopped at a red light, but Leslie’s words snapped him out of it and he stopped centimeters from the car. “Shit!” He swore as the car jolted from the sudden halt. He turned to Leslie, looking him over. “Are you ok? I should have been watching where I was going.” 

The albino looked no worse for the wear but was a little shaken, placing his pale hand over Sebastian’s that was clutching the steering wheel. “Ok…it’s ok.” He pointed forward to the cars that were now driving forward and Sebastian followed, making sure to stop to get a coffee on the way home. 

 

Picking up the paintbrush, bare feet placed firmly on the top of a step ladder, he began painting the ceiling. The room had been cleared of everything but the necessary equipment and he thought it looked rather bare and dingy. That would soon be fixed. 

The baby blue of the paint looked nice on the walls when he got to it, looking nicer when he covered the cream trims with white. All in all, the job took three days in total, with small breaks to visit Ruvik in between.

Ruvik was doing well, no infections thus far. He seemed bored, however, having to resort to reading magazines and papers-not his usual reading material. There was a tv also but he never seemed to be watching it when they visited. They had no more nurse emergency visits, Ruvik seeming to keep his heart in check. 

Sebastian looked over the room proudly. It had a queen bed, bookshelf half full of his own books, wardrobe, desk and chair and a television, the walls painted a dull blue. The beige of the carpet could have looked better but he didn’t have the knowledge of replacing carpets.

He walked Leslie in with hands over his eyes, taking them off to reveal his new room to him. The smile on the albino’s face couldn’t have been bigger. The boy walked in and sat on the bed, feeling the softness of it. Giggling softly, he fell back on it and Sebastian left him to it with a smile. The boy’s bruises were healing up nicely, and with sleep the red sleep deprivation marks around his eyes faded slightly. 

 

They welcomed Ruvik home a few days after. Ruvik was told to rest and not participate in strenuous activities as it might tear his skin grafts. He was just happy to be out of the hospital and the boredom that came with it. His condition hadn’t gotten any better yet but it hadn’t deteriorated either. He was still having coughing fits but they lasted not as long. 

His donor areas healed before his grafts did, but when they grew, they looked a little patchy. It wasn’t terribly bad, and Sebastian reminded him that he was beautiful in his eyes, having gotten over his stubbornness long ago about the relationship matter. They were going steady before long, and were generous adoptive fathers to Leslie, though unofficial. Leslie cared not, as he loved them just as they were. 

....  
..  
.

 

Sebastian came home with a letter in his hand, hunting down Ruvik immediately. He was cleaning in the kitchen when the detective found him. He spun him around and kissed him deeply, slipping the letter into his hand. “What’s this about?” Ruvik questioned not unhappily. 

Sebastian smirked knowingly, straightening up and clearing his throat as if putting on a show. “Ruben Victoriano, I believe we’ve found a lead on the murderer of your sister.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope I got all their personalities spot on without offending anyone, especially Leslie's. Anyway, I truly hope anyone who read this to the end enjoyed! There may be more TEW fanfiction coming later, or perhaps something special that I've been planning for a bit.


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